Machine for wrapping elongated objects like stick candy



Sept. 11, 1956 s. J. CAMPBELL 2,762,178

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING ELONGATED OBJECTS LIKE STICK CANDY Filed Dec 22,1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

15087770 Samue/ J Cam 0Ae// Sept. 11, 1956 5. J. CAMPBELL 2,762,173 IMACHINE FOR WRAPPING ELONGATED OBJECTS LIKE STICK CANDY Filed Dec. 22,1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N I 3 u 0 I 3 I l a. m

5 $1 N I Q g $3 1579627751 i s? "3 fiamue/ 1 (&/W,0 f// 3s v MM, mmm s.

Sept. 11, 1956 s. J. CAMPBELL MACHINE FOR WRAPPiNG ELONGATED OBJECTSLIKE STICK CANDY Filed D60. 22, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Zine/7752' Sa/M/e/J (E? Sept. 11, 1956 5. J. CAMPBELL 2,762,173

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING ELONGATED OBJECTS LIKE STICK CANDY Filed Dec. 22,1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 1 1955 5. J. CAMPBELL MACHINE FOR WRAPPINGELONGATED OBJECTS LIKE STICK CANDY Filed Dec. 22, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 51720627221" 50/771/6/ (am 05e// Z2 M, Ms M m Nm R Qwm MACHINE FORWRAPPING ELONGATED OBJECTS LIKE STICK CANDY This invention relates to amachine for wrapping elongated objects like stick candy. The presentapplication is a companion to my application 650,593 for United Statespatent on a Wrapping Machine, filed February 27, 1946, now Patent Number2,602,276, granted July 8, 1952.

As in the case of the companion application above identified, thepresent machine is of a type in which the objects to be wrapped are fedin from the side onto a conveyor to be passed sequentially beneath theinversely channelled web of wrapping material, wherein the suc cessiveobjects are enveloped, the wrapping material being marginally lappedbeneath the objects, and subsequently severed and sealed transversely atpoints inter mediate the entubed objects, to complete the enclosurethereof. The wrapped objects are then delivered, the delivery beingdesirably made laterally.

In such a machine, the present invention seeks to provide a type ofhopper feed which is especially designed to handle elongated stick-likeobjects and arranged to de liver such objects singly to the wrappingconveyor. The present invention is further concerned with means forassuring that the inverted channelled wrapping web will be drawn snuglyabout each successive stick-like object in the entubing operation sothat, in the resulting package, the wrapper will tightly conform to thegenerally cylindrical contours of the wrapped object.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a wrapping machine embodying thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken in section longitudinally of the wrappingconveyor.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view taken in section in the planeindicated at 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged detail view in side elevation of thewrapper web channelling former.

Fig. 5 is a view of the former in end elevation from the viewpointindicated in line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the completed package.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the package.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective showing on an enlarged scale a detail ofthe advancing and retracting pawls for the infeed conveyor.

Fig.9 is a View in axial section through the parts shownin Fig. 8.

V In view of the fact that the machine is of the general typeillustrated in the companion application above identified, it requiresno detailed description. As shown in Fig. 1, it comprises a machineframe including side-members 8 and 9. Arms 10 projecting laterally fromside member 8 support the infeed conveyor 12 above which is hopper 13,hereinafter to be described in more detail. The web 15 of wrappingmaterial enters the machine over pulley 14 from a source not shown, andpasses beneath the channelled former generically designated by referencecharacter 16 and also more fully described hereinafter.

The cut-off and end closing dies, are shown at 17 and 18, andthe.finished package 20 is delivered by conveyor United States PatentPatented Sept. 11, 1956 21 onto the discharge conveyor 22 which dropsthe successive packages onto the laterally projecting table 23.

The mechanisms with which the invention is particularly concerned willnow be described.

The hopper 13 is shown in detail in Fig. 3. It has an open top and is ofa width roughly corresponding to the length of the candy sticks 25 to bewrapped. These sticks are loaded into the top of the hopper onto theinclined bottom 26 thereof for gravity delivery toward the dischargeopening 27 in the bottom of the hopper at its lower end. In the end wall28 is an opening 29, the height of which may be adjusted by a gate 30fixed at any desired level by the screw 31. Just suflicient clearance isafforded for the passage of a single stick 25 at a time.

The infeed conveyor 12, to which reference has been made above, operatesover the table 33 beneath the hopper and beneath the opening 27 in thehopper bottom. It receives from the hopper a tier of sticks 25,successive sticks descending from the hopper onto the belt 12 to replacethose delivered beneath the gate 30 at opening 29.

The belt 12 is intermittently operated. A bight thereof passes aroundthe driving pulley 35 which is mounted on a shaft 31. This shaft carriesratchet disks 36a and 36b having their teeth oppositely directed to beengaged by the pawls 37 and 38. The pawls are pivoted to the operatingplate 39 which is supported for oscillation on shaft 31 between theratchet disks. The respective pawls are mounted on opposite sides of theoscillatory operating plate in registry with the teeth of theirrespective disks and are biased into engagement Withsuch teeth by thetorsion springs 32, 34 shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The oscillatory operating plate 39 is driven from eccentric 40 throughstrap 41 and connecting rod 42, the latter being adjustably connectedwith plate 39 to carry the angular range of plate oscillation.

The spacing between the teeth is such that in each clockwise oscillationof member 39 as viewed in Figs. 3 and 8, the engagement of pawl 37 withratchet disk 36a causes the belt 12 to be advanced for a suflicientdistance to discharge a single candy stick from the delivery end of thebelt, where the belt passes around the guide 43. Following this advance,the opposite oscillation of member 39 causes pawl 38 to act on one ofthe ratchet teeth of disk 36b to retract the infeed belt 12 for aportion of the distance over which it has advanced. The result is thatthe candy stick 250 which was next behind the stick delivered during theadvance of the belt, is retracted slightly from its point of maximumadvance, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to the position indicated infull lines in Fig. 3, thus assuring that such subsequent stick will notbe engaged by the means which propels the single stick delivered by thebelt. In every operation of the belt, it has a sufiicient movement ofadvance to deliver a single stick, this being followed by a beltretractive movement suflicient t0 efiect slight withdrawal of thesubsequent stick from the stick delivered.

The exact extent of the retractive movement of the belt 33 iscontrollable by the cam 51 which is adjustable respecting the frameextension 52, being slotted to receive the bolt 52%) as shown in Figs. 8and 9, whereby the plate is fixed in any desired position of angularadjustment throughout a substantial range.

The axis upon which plate 51 is angularly adjustable is the axis of thedisk 36b with respect to which the plate surface 518 is eccentric, asshown in Fig. 8. The ratchet disk 35b is reduced in width to receive theplate and consequently the surface 510 of the cam plate underlies thepawl 38, thereby serving to lift the pawl from en-. gagement with theteeth of ratchet disk 36b when a given degree of rotation of the ratchetdisk has been eifected by the pawl. By adjusting the. cam plate 51, theexact point at which such disengagement will occur can be 'verticaldirection, comprising a predetermined, thus accurately controlling theretractive movement of the belt. p

Thestick 25 whichhas been deliveredfrom belt 12. in the. manner abovedescribed passes onto the wrapping table 44 in the path of one of thelugs 45 of the conveyor 46 which operates beneath the wrapping tablewith its successive lugs 45 projecting into. engagement with the ends ofthe successively delivered. sticks 25. These lugs operate to propel thesticks into the downwardly opening channel which is formed in thewrapping web 15 where the web engages'the former 16.

The former, in its general aspects, is described in my companionapplication above identified. It constitutes a downwardly openingchannel with a beveled edge over which the margins of the paper. firsttend to form upwardly, wardlyrand beneath the workpieces 25 to completethe entubing thereof. The formeris illustrated separately in Figs. 4 and5. 48 between which the work is confined during wrapping. These plateshave'the beveled margins shown in Fig.4 at 49 and 58, the latter havingan angle intermediate 7 the angle of margin 49 and the lower margins ofthe respective plates. t I V V The side plate .48 is fixedly secured tothe mounting block 55 by cap screws 488. To permit oversize products topass without clogging the forming device, the plate 47, and the plate72, which is carried thereby are'bodily yieldable outwardly on the studs76 against the compres: sion of springs'77, as shown in dotted lines inFig.5. The bias of the springs 77 can position on each stud ofthe'spring seat collar 78 as determined by the set screw 79. The setscrews 79 preferably have wing heads to permit quick removal in theevent of jamming. 'The end of the spring 77 is desirably secured in thecollar as shown in dotted lines in Fig. to permit unitary handling. f

The top of the channel through which the work passes between plates 47and 48.- is desirably adjustable in a floating wall 53 having adownwardly opening concave lower face 54. The block 55 which liesbetween the plates 47 and 48 to close the channelling ,fixture at itstop is socketed to receive the screws 56 which adjustably support thefloating wall 53 to allow this to be raised slightly by pressure of thework from its normal position shown in Fig. 5, to which it is biased bygravity. The block 55 has tapped sockets 57, 58 in which are engaged thebolts 59,60 (Fig. 2), these being adjustably mounted in brackets 61, 62,respectively, for the support of the entire web channelling fixture 16.

The matter of bringing the margins of the paper wrapping web intolapping relationship beneath the article to complete the entubingthereof is solved conventionally by providing the bottom margins ofplates 47, 48 with inwardly curving and mutually lapped portions 64, 65,as shown in Fig. 5.

I found it very diflicult to draw the paper wrapping web snugly about anarticle so small in cross section as a candy stick, but solved theproblem by the use of obliquely disposed rollers 66 and 67 arranged inpairs and having their respective bearing supports 68, 69 mounted at thefree ends of leaf springs 7 0, 7 i, the rear fixed ends of which areattached to side plates 72, 73. The paper forming side plates 47, 48haveslots or openings at 74, 75 respectively through which the rollers66, 67 project into engagement with the wrapping web traversing theformer. Since the rollers are disposed to rotate in planes obliquelyinclined with respect to the axis of the work, such axis representingthe path upon which the work is travelling in traversing the former, therollers, while turning freely in their own planes, are constantlyexerting a frictional component which tends to pull the paper webtightly about the top of each candy stick, drawing all slack to the freem gi of the web where it is absorbed be adjusted according to the thesaid margins subsequently extending down- There are laterally spacedplates 47,

in the lap of such margins beneath the respective work pieces.

As the work pieces 25 entubed in the wrapping material 15 leave theforming device 16, the work pieces are spaced in the tube as clearlyshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. They'pass; freely between the upperand lower die rolls 17, 18,"but the operation of the die rolls is sosynchronized to the conveyor 46 which determines the spacing ofthe candyV Fig. 2. Beyond the point of severance, the wrapped pack ages aredelivered in the manner already described.

I claim:

1. In a machine for wrapping elongated workpieces of small crosssection, the combination with a wrapping former comprising side plateshavinginwardly. curved lapping margins and between which workpiecestravel upon a predeterminedpath, 'of wrapper engaging rolls on oppositesides of said path-and disposed to rotate in planes oblique with respectto said path and inclined toward said margins in the direction ofworkpiece advance, and means supporting said rolls for rotation inpositions for contact against said work pieces and intervening wrapper.v V V v V 2. The device of claim 1 in which the wrapper engaging rollsare yieldably mounted and biased toward' said path to urge the wrapperdirectly into contact with the workpieces. 7 V V 3. The device of claim2 in which the rolls are'in' pairs, the rolls of each pair beingsubstantially in a common oblique plane and their bias being opposed andsustained directly by successive intervening workpieces in their passageon said path.

,4. The device of claim. l in which the roll supporting means isyieldable and comprises springs resiliently biasing the respective rollstoward said pathe.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the said plates have apertures inwhich said rolls are disposed for engagement with wrapping materialotherwise confined withinthe former about workpieces to bewrapped. V w

6. The device of claim 4 in which said yieldablesupporting meanscomprises leaf'sprmgs mounted externally their free ends with bearingspf. the plates and provided at for the support of said rolls,

7. In a device of the V I conveyor means for workpiece advance and awrapper web delivering means whereby a wrapper web is guided above saidconveyor in a directionconvergentrthereto, a former into whichconveyor-propelled workpieces and said web are advancedeconcurrently,said former'comprising side plates having their lower margins curvedinto lapping relationship beneath the path of workpiece advance, and afloating top member between saidside plates having its lowersurfacechannelled to workpiece conformation. v 1 r Q 8. .The device of claim7.in further combination with laterally yieldable springs, rollermountings connected with said springs to receive inwardpressuretherefrom and disposed at opposite sides of the pathof, the workpiece,said mountings comprising bearings forwardly in clined from a positionat right angles to such path, and

10. The device of claim 9 1n which thei rollers comsticks that the dies87 and 88 carried byrolls 17,-and 18 come together intercharacterdescribed having 'a said rolls being'dis- References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fassinger Jan. 8, 1918 PotderinOct. 2, 1934 Poppe Mar. 19, 1935 10 Mapes Jan. 14, 1936 6 Fourness Mar.23, 1937 Heinmets June 17, 1941 Bemis Feb. 26, 1946 Howard Dec. 28, 1948Schneider May 9, 1950 Heinmets Sept. 5, 1950 Campbell Mar. 27, 1951Stephano Apr. 24, 1951 Noble June 9, 1951 Biner Mar. 4, 1952 CampbellJuly 8, 1952

